BACKGROUND: Pseudo-scientific predatory journals have been making a commercially lucrative business with scientific manuscripts for many years misusing the "open access" model by offering a fast and uncomplicated publication of scientific manuscripts in return for publication fees. The question arises as to whether the specialty field of otorhinolaryngology has already been infiltrated by this bad practice.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A pseudo-scientific fake manuscript was sent to 20 journals in which the journal title indicated an otorhinolaryngological content. Half of the journals were traditional otorhinolaryngology journals, which publish a print edition and which are mainly financed by subscriptions and advertisements. The other half were journals that published exclusively according to the "open access" model. Various parameters of the journals and of the review process were evaluated.
RESULTS: All 10 traditional ORL journals refused to publish the fake manuscript. Among the journals that published exclusively according to the "open access" model, there was one rejection of the manuscript, while 2 journals recommended a revision and 7 journals accepted the manuscript directly for publication.
CONCLUSION: Predatory publishers and journals are also active in the field of otorhinolaryngology. Especially at journals that publish articles exclusively "open access" for a publication or processing fee, scientific authors should be careful and check the seriousness of the journal in advance by using recommended hints and tools.
